What Our Readers Are Saying

Average customer rating based on 15 comments:

Edward Hahn, October 20, 2014 (view all comments by Edward Hahn)
This is the second volume in the Century trilogy. Once again we can see how adept Follett is at recreating historical eras, whether it be medieval England or mid Twentieth Century, Germany, Russia, The U.S. and England, as he does in this book. The main characters are the children of those we were introduced to in the first volume, "Fall of Giants".

I can fault the book on some things but the over-all experience was very satisfying. One thing Follett is meticulous about is getting the history right. As an undergraduate history major who specialized in the years Leading up to WW II and the war itself, I was impressed with the accuracy and understanding Follett brought to the era. He also illustrates the significance of events that were important at the time but have not been publicized as much recently like the Spanish Civil War, the Manhattan Project, the Labour Party victory in England in 1945 and others.

Another device, Follett makes good use of is frequently switching from one location to the other so the reader can get a sense of what was going on across the entire world. As you might expect from the author of so many spy thrillers, the plotting is very well done. He carries the plot with an excellent narrative that keeps us involved as the plots unfold.

On the negative side of the ledger, I find there are far too many coincidences which, while providing a reason for the plot to move along, nevertheless create a certain unreality that's hard to accept. His characters, as admirable as they are in most cases, often come across as stereotypes, the plucky Welsh miner, the vapid American heiress, the arrogant British Earl, the self sacrificing wife and mother, etc. Combine that with some overly maudlin moments and the story seems at times to be trying too hard to tug at the reader's heartstrings.

To hang in with a story that takes 890 pages to tell indicates that overall the book is a winner. I am looking forward to reading the third volume in the series, "Edge of Eternity".

SerendipitouslyNG, January 30, 2013 (view all comments by SerendipitouslyNG)
An amazing sequel to Fall of Giants. A completely relatable account of kids from different backgrounds and very different families in the US and Europe coming of age during World War II. These are the children of the main characters from Fall of Giants, and as Follett is prone to in his series, a continuation of the very realistic journeys these families had during significant times in history. I could not put this book down until I got to the last page and wept realizing it would be another 2 years before the final book of the trilogy would be released. Everyone needs to read this!

Darryl Luther, January 30, 2013 (view all comments by Darryl Luther)
Ken Follett continues on as a master story teller. The way he weaves the characters and their stories together is wonderful and really draws you into the overall story. Follett's character development is impeccable and you truly care about (or hate, as the case may be) the various characters in the book. I am really looking forward to the last book in the trilogy, but I wish that he could continue the series indefinitely.

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"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"This second installment of Follett's epic Century trilogy is just as potent, engrossing, and prolix as the opening opus, Fall of Giants. Continuing the histrionics of the five families introduced in Fall, this masterfully conceived novel picks up in 1933 as Carla von Ulrich, 11, feels the horror of Nazi encroachment in Germany and proves a staunch resister, while her older brother, Erik, becomes an infatuated soldier. Elsewhere, English student Lloyd Williams aggressively resists the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Later, wealthy American brothers Chuck (a closeted homosexual) and Woody Dewar head to the South Seas to fight the good fight as socialite Daisy Peshkov, Woody's first love, is swept up with Lloyd and the drama of war. Rife with plot lines, interpersonal intrigue, sweeping historical flourishes, and an authentic and compelling cast, this is a tale of dynamic characters struggling to survive during one of the world's darkest periods. While some may find Follett's verbosity daunting, others will applaud his dedication and ability to keep so many plots spinning while delivering a story that educates, entertains, and will leave fans eagerly awaiting the trilogy's crowning capstone. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

"Review"
by The Seattle Times,
"Abandon your normal activities for a couple of days when you crack this one open, because you're likely to get hooked like a Copper River salmon."

"Review"
by Kirkus Reviews,
“Follett’s storytelling is unobtrusive and workmanlike…he spins a reasonable and readable yarn that embraces dozens of characters and plenty of Big Picture history.”

"Review"
by Booklist,
“Follett never lets the action lag as he adeptly ties together all the sweeping economic, cultural, political, and social transformations of the entire era.”

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